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Publication Date

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Partner Organization(s)

Pacific University College of Health Professions; Jessie F. Richardson Foundation

Description

The College of Health Professions of Pacific University in collaboration with the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation, a non-profit organization, completed its third annual visit to Nicaragua in December 2009. An inter-disciplinary team of students and faculty from dental health, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistants spent ten days in country increasing community awareness of the health needs of Nicaraguan elders and fostered access to health education and services for those in poverty throughout the community. The team worked with one of the four physicians in Nicaragua who specializes in the area of gerontology providing direct services to residents of two different hogars: La Providencia Hogar de Ancianos located in Granada and Hogar San Pedro Claver located in Masaya. The time spent out of country is used to prepare for the trip through fundraising activities, gathering donations, marketing, educating our local communities about the limited healthcare available for elders abroad, and developing evidence-based activities for future generations participating in this project. The goal of this project is to assist each hogar in becoming self-sufficient in providing adequate healthcare to every one of its residents.